This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The Howard University Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CCBB) is a resource facility dedicated to the support of computational biology and bioinformatics research at Howard University. The objective of the laboratory is to provide support for research in the following areas: 1) bioinformatics and statistical genetics, 2) macromolecular analysis and simulation, 3) virtual ligand screening and database development, 4) computational chemistry, and 5) computational proteomics and methods development. It is proposed to maintain and update the computational capabilities of the center (i.e., hardware and software resources) while also maintaining its human resources. These requests are commensurate with the increased number of CCBB users and with the increased complexity and diversity of projects that are being undertaken. The facility will also continue to make available to the Howard University community of scientists the necessary human, software, and hardware resources to perform successful and competitive computational biomedical research. CCBB users have remote access to CCBB resources via the internet. Scientists from the national RCMI community will also have internet-based access to CCBB resources. It is also proposed to provide enhanced technical support to the growing cadre of users who access CCBB resources remotely. It is proposed to provide user training on the use of CCBB software. As a result of these plans, state-of-the-art computational biology and bioinformatics research resources will be available to both the Howard University community of scientists and to members of the national RCMI community. Access to these kinds of resources will be increasingly important in the pursuit of investigations on gene and protein sequence analysis, the design and development of new and improved therapeutic agents, biomolecules and biomaterials, and a better understanding of cellular processes.